360° Coverage: Valencia suspend Rami after radio interview

Valencia suspend Rami after radio interview

Madrid, Sep 26 (IANS) Spanish Primera Liga football club Valencia has decided to temporarily suspend the club's French international defender Adil Rami.

Sep 26 2013, 6:10am CDT | by IANS

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Madrid, Sep 26 — Spanish Primera Liga football club Valencia has decided to temporarily suspend the club's French international defender Adil Rami.

Until the club reaches a decision over what to do with Rami, the 27-year-old will not train or receive his salary from the club, reports Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Rami was sent back to Valencia from Granada, where he was with the team to play the local side Wednesday night.

The central defender slept in a different hotel to his team-mates and left the city in the early hours of the morning, arriving back in Valencia at 11:00 am.

The problem arose as a result of an interview the player, who is in his third season with the club, gave on Radio Valencia in which he openly criticised his team-mates and coach Miroslav Djukic.

Rami began by questioning his colleagues in the Valencia dressing room, as well as the loss of key players over the summer.

"We have lost people such as (David) Albelda, (Roberto) Soldado and Tino (Costa) and now in the dressing room there are only 'pelotas' (which can be translated as teacher's pets) who don't speak to your face," he said, before discussing his relationship with coach Djukic, who arrived at Valencia this summer.

"He is the captain of the ship, but we will see where we are at the end of the season," he began, adding, "my relationship with him is not good. I don't think he tells you things to your face. He told me that I could be one of the best central defenders in Europe and he doesn't show it."

Rami has played three of his side's five Primera Liga matches this season, as well as 10 minutes in the 0-3 Europa League loss at home to Swansea.

The defender was sent off early in that game leaving his side with 10 men for 80 minutes and was a key factor in the defeat that left Djukic's job supposedly on the line.

On arriving back in Valencia, Rami commented on his 'Facebook' page that he would like to respond to the sanction, "it is unfounded and I don't agree with it," he wrote.

"I am sorry about this situation, which complicates my relationship with the club and its fans, for whom I have always worked with the greatest respect and loyalty."

It now remains to be seen what the Spanish Footballers' Union (AFE) has to say on the matter of Rami's suspension, but it does look difficult for him to return to the first team and the most likely solution would be for the club to sell him when the winter transfer window opens in January.